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Open Access 01-12-2021 | Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia | Case report
An Eschar-like souvenir from a journey to Colombia: Ecthyma gangrenosum as a differential diagnosis of tropical diseases in immunocompromised patients – a case report
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2021
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Background
Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is a cutaneous infectious disease characterized by eschar-like skin ulcers typically caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we report a case of relapsing EG in a patient who had returned from a trip to Colombia, thus establishing EG as an important differential diagnosis of tropical diseases, and demonstrating that even long-term antibiotic treatment can result in only partial remission of EG.
Case presentation
A 77-year-old man with underlying chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) on ibrutinib treatment was admitted because of a superinfected mosquito bite on the left ear and multiple partially necrotic skin lesions disseminated all over the entire body five days after returning from a trip to Colombia. The initial clinical suspicion of a tropical disease (leishmaniosis, systemic mycosis, or others) could not be confirmed. During the diagnostic workup, microbiological cultures of the skin biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa, leading to a diagnosis of EG. Initial antibiotic treatment resulted in partial remission. However, the patient had to be re-admitted due to a relapse 3–4 weeks after the first episode. Finally, the patient was successfully treated with a combined approach consisting of antibiotics, recurrent surgical incisions, and administration of immunoglobulins.
Conclusions
In conclusion, EG should be considered as a differential diagnosis in immunosuppressed patients presenting with eschar-like skin ulcers. A combined treatment approach seems to be the best choice to achieve clinical cure and avoid relapse.